Emergency Communications:
Controlling the Exchange
By Karen P. Snyder
As anyone who had lived through an
earthquake, fire or flood is aware,
emergencies are part of doing
business in California and Nevada. Water
industry professionals are aware of the need
to have operational emergency response
plans on file for a variety of potential crises.
The problem is that too often the part of
the plan that involves communication with
customers and the general community
during a disaster is missing or not up to par.
But how you communicate with the public
during a crisis will leave an impression on
your customers and your community for
years to come, if not decades. Your utility can
be involved and in control of the exchange
Continued on next page With an emergency communications plan in place, this utility was able to respond effectively
18 SOURCE summer 2013
when a train derailed into its water treatment chemical storage facility.
